Tucked between dense forests and towering mountains within Royal Manas National Park, Changarzam village in Phangkhar Gewog, Zhemgang lives with an unease that has become part of daily life after a tiger started preying on livestock.

The first recorded instance of an adult tiger killing seven cattle at once in October this year left the villagers in shock and mounting losses without a compensation system in place.

Two months ago, 31-year-old Dendup Tshering lost his entire herd – three milking cows, including two pregnant Jerseys, and an ox – to a single tiger attack. The carcasses were found around 12:30 pm on October 23.

“I went to search for the cattle after they did not return overnight. All of them had been killed at the same spot, just a few metres apart,” Dendup Tshering said.

Villagers have sighted the tiger in recent weeks, including on the opposite side of the twin waterfalls.

Dendup Tshering recalled spotting the animal earlier while searching for his cattle with his two friends.

Livestock is the backbone of household livelihoods in Changarzam.

Despite the risk, Dendup Tshering recently purchased another mixed-breed Jersey cow for Nu 33,000. “I worry that I may have bought the cow only to feed the tiger,” he said.

Cattle left unattended in the forest for grazing and tied to areca nut trees around homes at night provide easier prey compared to wild animals, which require more effort to hunt.

“We don’t have proper cattle sheds,” Dendup Tshering said. “But as long as there are lights, the tiger doesn’t come close.” Dried cattle hides hang on house walls, stark reminders of the loss from tiger attacks. And fresh tiger pug marks along the Mangdechhu riverbanks indicate the looming threat and the ongoing tiger-human conflict.

The animal’s movement closer to the settlement has heightened fears not only for livelihoods, but for human safety. The 18 households of Changarzam live in constant fear.

Fifty-seven-year-old Zangto, who lost a milking cow, said the threat weighs constantly on residents. “We believe seeing tigers and elephants is lucky,” he said. “But now it brings more fear than joy.”

He said villagers recognise the importance of protecting tigers as an endangered species, but the increasing attacks on cattle have raised concerns that human safety is now at greater risk.

The tiger was also sighted in Repati village, Ngangla Gewog in early December, though no livestock losses were reported there.

In Shingkhar, residents have been on edge since a tiger injured a 35-year-old man in November while villagers were working on a farm-road base course.

Officials said the tiger was first spotted near the worksite and chased away. The injury may have occurred later when the victim and another man went back to check the area, possibly while the animal was defending itself.

Forest officials say that while cattle losses have occurred in parts of Shingkhar, Nangkhor, and Phangkhar, this is the first recorded human–tiger injury linked to such encounters in the dzongkhag.

The country’s first recorded incident occurred on August 1, 2010, in Dorji Gonpa village, Trongsa, when a 32-year-old man was killed by a Royal Bengal Tiger about a 10-minute walk from the Trongsa–Bumthang Highway.

Interventions and challenges

The Zhemgang Forest Division has stepped up interventions to reduce human–wildlife conflict, amid increasing wildlife population, spurred by successful conservation initiatives.

Senior forest ranger Om Nath Raika said four camera traps have been installed in Phangkhar to monitor the tiger’s movements and study the behavior of the tiger following the incident.

Cameras have been installed in lower Panbang three times in the past to capture evidence of tiger presence, but no tigers were recorded during the surveys.

“Although there is no compensation for such incidents, we have recorded every case,” Om Nath Raika said. “Some people do not report cases to the authorities since they do not receive compensation.”

To mitigate human–tiger conflict and livestock losses, a Gewog Tiger Conservation Tshogpa, a community-based livestock insurance scheme, has been established in Shingkhar and Nangkhor.

With seed funding of Nu 1 million from Bhutan Tiger Center, the scheme provides compensation for cattle losses, in line with the bylaw, which is managed by the gewog administration.

Without permanent solutions, villagers fear livestock rearing may become unsustainable. “A Jersey costs between Nu 40,000 and Nu 50,000,” said a farmer in Changarzam. “Replacing them is difficult, and compensation would help us recover and replace the lost cattle.”

Despite rising losses, retaliatory killings remain rare. Communities have historically shown tolerance toward tigers and other predators.

The National Tiger Survey indicates that the tiger population in Bhutan has increased by 27 percent in seven years, from 103 in 2014–2015 to 131 in 2021–2022, along with incidents of tigers preying on livestock.

The increase in tiger numbers also means more competition, forcing younger individuals to range outside protected areas to establish new territories and find food.

Tigers are most frequently found in Royal Manas, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, and Jigme Dorji National Parks, Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Bumthang, Dagana, and Zhemgang divisions, with densities of more than two individuals per 100 square kilometres.

With 94.17 percent of its area under forest cover, Zhemgang is home to nature reserves such as Royal Manas Park, Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, Phrumsengla National Park, and Biological Corridor BC4, which collectively host over 22 endangered animal species.

For villagers in Changarzam, conservation success has come with a heavy cost. Each night, they hope their cattle will be safe until morning.

In Association with ANN